Avastin or Erbitux

Vickilg

Good morning... I had recurrent rectal cancer stage IV with met of one spot to liver. Had entire rectum and liver spot removed in January and about to start chemo. I am told that I am NED and the choice to thave the chemo is mine but that they recommend it to take care of any remaining cells (if there are any). I am taking no chances and will do the chemo for 6 months. Below is what they are going to give me but leaving me with the choice between Erbitux and Avastin. What does everyone recommend? I have no idea which to choose and I think it is a bit unfair that they leave that decision up to the cancer patient.

Folfox (Folinic Acid, 5FU, Oxaliplatin)
Avastin or Erbitux

Erbitux side effects: Skin rash, diarreah
Avastin: blood block, high blood pressure

I don't know what to do.

PhillieG

Hi Vicki
I would ask your onc how their results have been with previous patients and what they would recommend you do. What would THEY do given the same circumstances?
I have been on both meds and they have their good points and side effects.

johnnybegood

i did not know
you could take avastin or Erbitux with the oxy.i had Leucovorin(folinic acid) 5fu and oxy.right now i have recently been dx stage 4 with recurrance to liver and lung and i am awaiting a test to see witch chemo will work best since this first cocktail evidently did not work.they told me i would be on the folinic acid,5fu,and Irinotecan.if not that combo then we will try the Avastin or Erbitux with 5fu and folinic acid.sorry i was of no help.i have noticed that everybodys doctors are different just as we are all different,good luck...Godbless...johnnybegood

sherrylee

I am currently getting the
I am currently getting the erbitux and iretecan. The rash is awful, all over my head and face, but they say if you get the rash, then its working. The avastin had less side effects, but did not work for me. And your oncologist should not be giving you a choice on which med combination to use, that is his job, that is what we pay them for, their expertise and to help us survive!

lisa42

Erbitux and Avastin
First of all, congrats on now being considered NED!
Have you already had Folfox? If not, what did you have when you were first diagnosed and treated? Usually Folfox is given when you're first diagnosed (esp for stage III or stage IV at diagnosis)- often also given with Avastin. If you had Folfiri first (which some do now), then I can see why you're getting Folfox now. If you already had Folfox, however, then I'd wonder why your oncologist would recommend that again, instead of Folfiri. Oxaliplatin is a very tough drug with many nasty side effects. Irinotecan (also called CPT-11 or Camptosar) isn't a cake walk, but much easier to take than the oxaliplatin. Maybe you're already aware of all this, but in case you're not, I just wanted you to be aware & have someting to discuss with your oncologist.
At one point (before k-ras testing) when I was on Folfiri, I was on both Erbitux and Avastin at the same time, along with the Folfiri. About a month and half into that, I was then found to be kras mutated, so the Erbitux was stopped, but I continued taking the Avastin along with the Folfiri. I don't know if I'd go by that, though (re. taking both Erbitux and Avastin with the Folfiri or Folfox), as the oncologist I had at that time proved to not know a lot about colorectal cancer (made a handful of mistakes, one that very well led right to my first recurrence- told me no chemo after my liver surgery was neccessary. I should have insisted on it, but that was in the days before I take the bull by the horns and did my own research, as I have very much been doing the past couple of years).
When I was first diagnosed as stage IV in Aug 2007, I was put on Folfox and Avastin. That combo seems to be pretty common.
I'm glad at least your oncologist is giving you some choice- so it's good that you are throwing it out here and trying to weigh the pros and cons.

Take care,
Lisa

lisa42

sherrylee said:

I am currently getting the
I am currently getting the erbitux and iretecan. The rash is awful, all over my head and face, but they say if you get the rash, then its working. The avastin had less side effects, but did not work for me. And your oncologist should not be giving you a choice on which med combination to use, that is his job, that is what we pay them for, their expertise and to help us survive!

getting the rash does not always mean it's working
Sherrylee and others-

I just wanted to dispel the idea that was circulated for a while (and apparently still is), that if you get the Erbitux rash, that means it's working. It was believed for a while, but now realized that that certainly isn't always the case.
Case in point with me... I was on Erbitux for a month and a half and got the most horrible acne rash possible- it literally covered my face, scalp, inside my ears, throat/neck, and chest. I'm talking it was so bad that it hurt to put my head down on a pillow. I truly looked like a monster- I didn't even want to walk down my front sidewalk to pick up the newspaper, it was that bad. I know that most people don't get it that bad & if you take the antibiotics right when you start it, it should prevent most of that. My oncology office told me that I was the worst case they had ever seen (lucky me). Then I was k-ras tested (it just about the time the testing was being started, but the testing for it wasn't actually considered standard when I was first given it). I tested positive for the kras mutation, which means that it won't ever work for me- so I was immediately taken off it. By the way, my oncologist never gave me any kind of topical skin treatment or antibiotic to prevent such a rash until it was pretty bad. Once I did get on minocycline, the worst part of the acne cleared up within a month.

Not trying to dissuade you from taking Erbitux, because it definitely works well for some people (who are kras wild type, not mutated) & the rash can be mostly avoided if you take the antibiotics with it, from the start.

Lisa

Victoria M

lisa42 said:

Erbitux and Avastin
First of all, congrats on now being considered NED!
Have you already had Folfox? If not, what did you have when you were first diagnosed and treated? Usually Folfox is given when you're first diagnosed (esp for stage III or stage IV at diagnosis)- often also given with Avastin. If you had Folfiri first (which some do now), then I can see why you're getting Folfox now. If you already had Folfox, however, then I'd wonder why your oncologist would recommend that again, instead of Folfiri. Oxaliplatin is a very tough drug with many nasty side effects. Irinotecan (also called CPT-11 or Camptosar) isn't a cake walk, but much easier to take than the oxaliplatin. Maybe you're already aware of all this, but in case you're not, I just wanted you to be aware & have someting to discuss with your oncologist.
At one point (before k-ras testing) when I was on Folfiri, I was on both Erbitux and Avastin at the same time, along with the Folfiri. About a month and half into that, I was then found to be kras mutated, so the Erbitux was stopped, but I continued taking the Avastin along with the Folfiri. I don't know if I'd go by that, though (re. taking both Erbitux and Avastin with the Folfiri or Folfox), as the oncologist I had at that time proved to not know a lot about colorectal cancer (made a handful of mistakes, one that very well led right to my first recurrence- told me no chemo after my liver surgery was neccessary. I should have insisted on it, but that was in the days before I take the bull by the horns and did my own research, as I have very much been doing the past couple of years).
When I was first diagnosed as stage IV in Aug 2007, I was put on Folfox and Avastin. That combo seems to be pretty common.
I'm glad at least your oncologist is giving you some choice- so it's good that you are throwing it out here and trying to weigh the pros and cons.

Take care,
Lisa

New
Hi there,

My 63 yr old Father has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. He has no nodal disease and a few spots in liver and lungs. He has had a PICC line inserted and started 5FU and Oxyplatin and ?something else with it. He has a pump attached for acouple of days, this appears to be every fortnight currently. He has had no surgery. Just wanting to know what you guys do on the other side of the word.

Thank you for your time and knowledge

Victoria